Skip to the tool

Describe a fireworks display or light show that you watched

Try the card on the exam timer first, then read the band-8 sample answer and the Part 3 questions that follow it.

Practice it like the exam

Part 2 · Candidate task card

Describe a fireworks display or light show that you watched.

You should say:

  • where and when you watched it
  • who you were with
  • what you saw

and explain how you felt while you were watching it.

Ready

1 minute to prepare, then 2 minutes to speak. It switches on its own.

Recordings stay in this tab and are never uploaded.

Band 8 sample answer

250 words · about 2 minutes at a natural pace · Phrases from the vocabulary list are highlighted.

I'd like to describe a fireworks display that I watched last year, on the evening of the national day celebrations. I went with two friends, Timur and Aigerim, and we decided to watch it from a hill near the city centre, because we'd heard that you could see the whole sky from there.

We arrived about an hour before it began, and there were already hundreds of families sitting on blankets, eating snacks and waiting. The air was cool, and there was a lovely, relaxed mood. At exactly nine o'clock, the first rocket shot into the sky with a loud bang, and then the whole city seemed to light up. There were golden showers, red circles and blue flowers that opened and slowly faded. Some of the displays were even shaped like hearts or stars. At one point, music was played through loudspeakers, and the fireworks moved in time with it, which looked amazing. The whole show lasted about twenty minutes, but it felt much shorter.

While I was watching, I felt completely amazed and a bit like a child again. I stopped thinking about work and everything else, and just gazed up with my mouth open. I noticed that everyone around me was doing the same: people were silent, and then they all gasped or clapped at the same moment.

It reminded me that simple pleasures are often the best ones. We walked home slowly afterwards, talking about the colours and the sound, and I felt relaxed and happy.

What to notice

  • It takes the points on the card in order, so the examiner can follow it.
  • Each point gets a specific detail or a short story, which is what keeps a talk going for two minutes.
  • The "explain" line at the end gets the most time, because that is where you give an opinion and show your range of language.

We wrote this answer for practice; it does not come from IELTS. Take its structure and phrases and tell your own story, because examiners notice memorised answers.

Getting ready for IELTS?

Get your study plan

Useful vocabulary

PhraseMeaning
light up the skyto fill the sky with bright colours
breathtakingextremely beautiful or impressive
in unisonall together at the same time
spectaclea visually impressive public show
gaze up atto look upward for a long time
a burst of coloura sudden display of bright colours

Plan it in one minute

Choose what to talk about in the first ten seconds, then write two or three key words for each point. Full sentences take too long to write and to read back.

Who or what you could talk about

  • A fireworks show at a national celebration
  • A drone or laser light show in a city
  • A lantern or light festival

How to spend the two minutes

  1. 25 swhere and when you watched it
  2. 25 swho you were with
  3. 25 swhat you saw
  4. 45 sand explain how you felt while you were watching it.

Part 3 questions

In the exam these come straight after your talk, on the wider subject: Public entertainment and spectacle. Answer each in 3–4 sentences, with your view, a reason and an example.

  1. Why do people enjoy watching fireworks?
  2. Are large public shows a good use of public money?
  3. What are the environmental effects of fireworks and big events?
  4. Do you think crowds at public events are safe enough?
  5. How has technology changed the way shows and displays are created?
  6. Why do people often take photos and videos instead of just enjoying the moment?

Frequently asked questions

How should I describe an event in an IELTS cue card?

Set the scene with when, where and who was there, then walk through what happened in order. Finish with why it was memorable. If you were not at a big event, a small one you remember well works better.

Getting ready for IELTS?

All free tools

Writing topic generator

Write to Task 1 and Task 2 prompts with a timer and a word counter.

IELTS band score calculator

Average your four skill bands, rounded the way IELTS rounds them.

IELTS score converter

Compare an IELTS band with TOEFL, Duolingo and PTE scores and CEFR levels.

University IELTS requirements

Look up the IELTS score a university asks for, with the source.